


The Voyage Home

by shadowsfan



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Davos Gets his reward, M/M, On the way home from the Iron Bank, Remember all the crap Davos went through the last couple of seasons, There is much angst in this one, There is some sex that happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 18:45:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2398901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsfan/pseuds/shadowsfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the return voyage from Braavos, Stannis offers Davos a reward of his choosing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Voyage Home

Lightning flashed across the coal black sky and Davos could make out the densest part of the storm off the port side.  The Fury would only catch the edge of it, though the wind was already kicking through the sails and the waves rolled the deck beneath his feet.  He inhaled the salty tang of the sea and reveled in the sting of the spray against his face.  Davos loved the sea like this, dark and wild.  He could finally relax and enjoy the trip home from Braavos— a brief respite before Stannis’ forces rejoined the war in earnest.  He would have much work to do when they docked at Dragonstone, but for now there was nothing for him but to enjoy the storm charged sea air and the sense of satisfaction that came from accomplishing his mission for Stannis.

Yet Davos’ mood was by no means celebratory.   He’d had little time for celebration since the conclusion of their business at the Iron Bank.  His first act after securing the gold had been to pay off his old friend Sallahdor Saan and to procure his services for the next phase of Stannis’ offensive.  Davos had found Sal at the baths enjoying a fine cigar, a fine drink, and the company of several fine women.  He’d been sorely tempted himself— he couldn’t help but stare at their naked flesh, his body painfully reminding him just how long it had been.  Sal had been surprised when Davos had declined his offer to join him, laughing at his friend’s odd sense of duty.  

Sal would be even more amused had he known that it wasn’t simply Davos’ sense of duty to his king that prompted his abstinence.  His relationship with Stannis went far beyond that of knight and liege lord, or even King’s Hand and king.  He had given Stannis everything it was possible to give another man, body and soul.  Davos had given all willingly, and would continue to do so till his dying breath.  The recent thought that Davos had been forced to contemplate— that Stannis might no longer wish for Davos to serve as more than merely a hired sword— was devastating.  All the whores in Braavos couldn’t satisfy the longing that festered like an untreated wound in his belly.  The encounter at the baths had left Davos melancholy and more than a little frustrated.  He returned to the ship thirsty for more than fine rum from Braavos, but rum would have to suffice.

Lightning flashed again, followed by the hollow rumble of thunder and he glanced at the king, standing not ten feet away, his sharp features briefly illuminated as he leaned on the rail.  A warm sensation radiated from Davos’ stomach, warmth distinct from the effects of the rum.  He blinked away the salt spray and tried to focus his eyes.  Maybe it was the drink, but Davos could swear that Stannis was staring at him with a look he hadn’t seen in ages, a look both hungry and possessive.   Davos quickly returned his gaze to the blackness of the horizon, certain that he’d been mistaken.  Wishful thinking that’s all it was.  Stannis had neither time nor patience to spare him since Blackwater Bay, despite the fact that he’d saved his royal ass twice since then.   _You’re running out of time, Ser Davos._  Davos chuckled bitterly thinking of Stannis’ cryptic warning to him just before they’d set sail.  A glutton for punishment or a fool, he chanced another glance.  His breath caught as Stannis approached and made himself a place on the rail at his side.

“Your Grace.”

“This squall is nothing compared to other storms we’ve weathered.”

“Yes, Your Grace.  We’ll miss the worst part of this one, thankfully.”

“Come to my cabin after you’ve finished with your duties.  I wish to speak with you in private.”

Davos studied the king, but Stannis’ face betrayed nothing.  “Yes, of course, Your Grace.”

Stannis nodded curtly and left him there to ponder what the king could possibly want.

~ ~ ~

The guard outside the door glanced at Davos only briefly before permitting him to enter the cabin of the king.  Davos realized that he was the king’s trusted aide once more, although he had been confined in the dungeon and then sentenced to death not two moons ago.

Stannis motioned him into the sparsely furnished room and stood looking at him with such intensity that Davos wished he had a bit more rum to still his jangling nerves.  Davos could tell by the way that Stannis paced, an admirable feat given the room’s size, that he wanted to say something important but the words wouldn’t come.  Davos knew in these situations to remain silent until Stannis got whatever it was off his chest.  Fortunately he didn’t have to wait long.

“I wanted to tell you that I’m grateful for what you did at the Iron Bank,” Stannis said curtly but emphatically, staring at a point on the wall instead of looking Davos in the eye.  “You didn’t have to make such a speech about me, but you did and I’m grateful.”

“I spoke the truth. Thankfully, Tycho Nestoris was persuaded by it.”

“Nevertheless, I want to thank you properly.”  Stannis paused as another rumble of thunder shook the cabin, his voice softening as he continued.  “Ask anything you wish of me, Ser Davos, and if it is within my power I’ll grant it.”

Davos felt all the air escape from his lungs leaving him light headed.   _Anything you wish of me._  He stared at Stannis’ stoic profile.  At the moment there was only one wish he wanted Stannis to grant, but did he dare give voice to such thoughts?

Davos’ silence stretched too long and Stannis turned to face him.  “Do you wish to think about it?”

“I don’t have to think about it, Your Grace.  You said _anything_.”  Surely the king would recognize his intent from the tone of his voice.  Emboldened by the rum, Davos’ eyes met Stannis’ and held them.  Even in the dim lantern light he could see the understanding creep into Stannis’ expression.  He saw something else there too.  This time there was no mistaking the desire smoldering in the king’s blue eyes.

Stannis broke eye contact first as he found sudden interest in a parchment on the desk.  The king lowered his voice before responding in a ragged whisper.  “ _That_ seems an impossible request to grant, given where we are.  There is little privacy aboard ship.”

“Difficult, yes, but not impossible.”  Davos would not be daunted, and Stannis had not yet denied him.  He closed the distance between them.  “Not impossible, as long as we’re quiet.  This is what I want from you, and we both know you’re a man of your word.”

WIthout waiting for an invitation, Davos kissed Stannis hard on the mouth.  The king tensed, his lips returning the kiss briefly before pulling away.  Stannis’ tongue traced his own lips, tasting the rum that Davos had consumed.  

“So it is drink to blame for this sudden fit of passion,” he growled accusingly.  “You know I don’t approve.”

Davos knew Stannis felt giving in to carnal desire was a weakness. If he needed to blame the rum for Davos’ request so be it.  “You needn’t worry about getting drunk from my kisses, Your Grace.” Davos whispered and kissed Stannis again, this time even more deeply, sucking on his lower lip and grazing it with his teeth before releasing it.

“You think not, Davos?” Stannis asked breathlessly, taking a step back and clearly struggling to regain his self-control.

There was an invisible barrier that had loomed between them for months. After Davos had been rescued from the Blackwater, the burning need he’d felt at first when in Stannis’ presence had transformed into a dull ache as the weeks passed without a hint of reciprocation, and then to a hollow pang of longing.  Davos had repressed his physical desire for Stannis, buried it deep where it could no longer torment him on a daily basis.  Now that Stannis was here within arm’s length, Davos sensed his lust rising from the depths like some creature that he couldn’t control.  Still, he forced himself to remain calm despite the alarming rate at which his heart was beating and waited for his king to address him.

Stannis finally spoke again, his voice husky.  “Why are you doing this, Ser Davos?  You could have asked for anything: land, titles, gold.  You still can.”

Davos moved closer, his voice hot and strained.

“You know what I want, Your Grace.  I ask that you spare me the indignity of pretending otherwise.”

Stannis turned away, shoulders stiffening as if preparing himself for an assault.  “As you wish.”

Davos reached for him then, fingering the silver clasp of Stannis’ cloak when Stannis’ hand flew up, capturing Davos’ hand against his chest.  The abrupt physical contact sent an immediate rush of heat up the length of Davos’ arm.

“I’m here for you at your request, onion knight.  There is no need for you to serve me,” he admonished.

“If you are here for me, my king, then _allow_ me to serve you.”

Those simple words were all it took.  Stannis shuddered as Davos’ warm breath feathered over the short hairs at the back of his neck and his icy reserve began to melt.  Davos freed him from his cloak.  There was so much he wanted to say, but words were weapons that they had used to inflict injury upon each other these past months.  Perhaps it was time to communicate another way.

Davos brushed his lips across Stannis’ skin and pressed his nose against his hair, the scents of sea salt and leather mingling with the smoke from the lantern.   _Tonight you’re mine_. The words sounded in his brain so clearly he wondered for a moment if he’d spoken them aloud.  Davos’ carefully constructed facade of self-restraint was crumbling.  Long repressed memories came flooding into his consciousness: Stannis’ beard raking across his stomach, Stannis’ teeth grazing his nipple, Stannis’ stiff cock against the inside of his thigh.  

Turning the king to face him, Davos stifled any attempt to protest with his mouth as he kissed him greedily.  It had been far too long for both of them and their movements felt awkward, their hands moving in unison, yanking at boiled leather and wool, pulling at laces and fumbling with boots, desperate to remove the remaining barriers between them.  

Davos impatiently tasted each newly exposed patch of skin on Stannis’ neck, chest and stomach even as his fingers tugged at the laces of Stannis’ breeches.  Stannis’ own hands were busy, somehow managing to remove Davos’ tunic before the two of them stumbled to the bed and fell onto it.  Davos landed on top of Stannis with a grunt, their feverish bodies tacky from sweat in the humid cabin.  

Davos freed Stannis’ cock, roughly stroking the length of him, already hard and slick in his hand.  His own cock swelled in response as Stannis thrust into his fist, stifling his groans through gritted teeth.  Davos’ kisses were not tender; they were reckless, hard enough to bruise.  He should have taken care not to leave visible marks on the king’s skin, but a part of him wanted to make Stannis feel pain, to pay for all the hurt he’d endured these past months.  Another part simply wanted to make Stannis lose control, to say his name in that voice that he’d heard vividly in his dreams.  

Stannis closed his eyes, his hips bucking upward and growled Davos’ name as if it were a swear word.  Davos squeezed Stannis’ cock a final time and released him.  Stannis’ blue eyes flew open, growing wild and dark as any storm; but Davos placated him with another hard kiss before moving down his chest, tracing a line with his tongue straight to Stannis’ straining erection.  Stannis dug his fingers deeply into Davos’ shoulder as Davos took him into his mouth.    

Thunder muffled Stannis’ groans of pleasure as Davos sucked him with purpose, alternatively stroking the shaft and dragging his tongue across the sensitive corona.  Over the years he’d learned what Stannis needed, what it took to lead him to the brink of the precipice and push him over the edge.  Davos was relentless now, teasing with his tongue and teeth before taking Stannis deep and swallowing around him until the king threw his head back and cried out loudly as he released in Davos’ mouth.  Davos thanked the Seven that thunder from the next wave of storms muffled the sound or he would’ve faced the king’s wrath.  Davos stroked Stannis’ side as he stilled.  He watched Stannis’ face and was satisfied with the glassy-eyed look of contentment that his efforts had produced.  He didn’t linger, though, his throbbing cock reminding him that his own gratification was long overdue as he guided himself between Stannis’ legs.  

The two men groaned in unison as Davos pushed inside, nearly overcome with pleasure.  This was what he’d wanted, what he’d longed for these many months, the intimacy of joining with the man he worshiped more devoutly than any deity.  Davos closed his eyes, settling into a rhythm that he knew was too fast but his body was in control now and he could only obey.   Stannis’ hands scrabbled for purchase over Davos’ sweat slickened skin, clawing at his back and hips, pulling him closer as Davos rocked against him.

“Davos─“ Stannis moaned once more and that was all it took.  Davos released a series of incoherent grunts as he came more forcefully than he thought possible.  Trembling, he let his head drop to Stannis’ shoulder and his body soon followed, collapsing on top of Stannis, who wrapped him securely in his strong arms.  They lay still for a time and Davos nuzzled his face against Stannis’ neck and listened as the king’s breathing slowed.

“I would consider that a proper thank you.”  Stannis whispered at last.

Davos tilted his head.  Was Stannis Baratheon actually making a joke?  Davos grinned, his mouth finding Stannis’ ear, and whispered, “I hope that you haven’t finished thanking me just yet.”

~ ~ ~

Davos could count on his shortened fingers the number of times that Stannis Baratheon had fallen asleep in his arms.  Like snow in Dorne, it just didn’t happen.  But here in the darkest pre-dawn hours, Stannis’ back was pressed against his chest and Davos had made no move to take his leave.  The king awoke slowly, taking a deep breath and stretching his arms.  Still, he seemed to be in no hurry to toss Davos out into the night, which was unusual for Stannis.  He typically seemed to regret giving in to his baser needs and often left abruptly after coupling.  Davos pressed his mouth close to Stannis’ ear, curious to see how far Stannis was willing to tolerate this new intimacy.

“Words are wind, you once said.”

Stannis tensed a bit, but did not pull away.  “Aye.  What of it?”

“Wind can be a powerful thing, a destructive thing.  We both know that wind sinks ships.”

“Enemy ships as well.  In the Stormlands wind is our weapon.”  Stannis turned his head, appraising Davos. “At the Iron Bank your words saved our cause.  They were our weapon.”

“ _Your_ words nearly destroyed me.”  Davos held his breath as Stannis scowled.  Had he said too much?  He’d come too far to stop now.  He wasn’t sure what he wanted from Stannis, but he felt compelled to speak his mind.  He wanted no secrets to remain between them.

“What does it matter now?  You’re here.  I’ve forgiven you, though you go too far at times.  I’ve never known you to be a sentimental fool, Ser Davos.”

“Perhaps you’ve never known me at all, Your Grace.”  Davos found himself reacting more harshly than he’d intended.  Did it ever occur to Stannis that he might not have forgiven _him_?

“I know that you would give your life for me, without hesitation.  I know that you’ve given your son’s life for me.  I’ve dealt with you harshly but fairly at times.  You have every right to despise me.”  The words tumbled from Stannis’ mouth.  Oddly, Davos was reminded of the speech he himself had given at the Iron Bank.

“I _should_... despise you.” Davos whispered flatly.

“You know I can’t abide men who speak in riddles.  Is there something that you wish to say to me?  You have my permission to speak freely.”

 _Say what?  Should I tell him how much he hurt me?  Should I tell him how much he means to me?_  Davos knew that he couldn’t begin to put those feelings into words, let alone words that Stannis would understand.  

“Fuck it,” Davos muttered under his breath and pulled Stannis against him, capturing his mouth in a rough kiss.  

He fully expected Stannis to pull away, but the king surprised him and returned the kiss with fervor, his mouth growing hungrier as Davos began to suck on his lower lip and tease with his tongue.  Pressing his body close to Stannis, Davos felt himself beginning to harden against Stannis’ thigh.  His fingers stroked Stannis’ stubbled jaw, slowing him.  He let his tongue linger a moment, softening the kiss before pulling away.  Stannis’ lips were parted and his face flushed.  Davos knew that Stannis was as aroused as he was.  It took every measure of self-control for Davos to abruptly remove himself from Stannis’ embrace.  His muscles protested as he stood and made to pull on his boots and breeches.

“If Your Grace will excuse me, it is past time for me to return to my duties.  It wouldn’t do for me to linger here until dawn.”  

Reaching for his tunic, Davos chanced a glance at Stannis and observed his obvious struggle to regain his composure as his eyes widened in confusion.  Davos felt incredibly guilty for disappointing his king, but perhaps now Stannis had a small inkling of what Davos had experienced the past few months.  Demonstrations were sometimes more effective than words.

After a lengthy pause, Stannis replied dismissively, “Yes, yes, of course.  You may go.”

It had been a long and difficult journey returning to his place by the king’s side.  He hoped that in the future Stannis would no longer doubt his loyalty for any reason.  The true test would come when the ship returned to Dragonstone and the king’s attention was once again divided between Davos, Lady Melisandre, and the queen.  The days ahead would be busy, the journey to the Wall arduous.  But now Davos was confident that he could endure any hardship with the memory of the voyage home from Braavos to fortify him.

The End.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Vana for reading all of my convoluted Stavos fics!


End file.
